Dog Owner's Manual › Chapter 4: Dog Behavior & Training › Overview of Basic Dog Habits ›

Dog Socialization

SocializationBecause they were designed to live in groups, dogs are highly attuned to the moods of their pack mates—in this case, you and your family. That’s why it is ideal for puppies to join their new families during the seventh or eighth week of life. This is the period in which they are most susceptible to imprinting.

Other Resources on This Topic

Behavior & Training Forum
Behavior & Training Q&A

Comments (2)

Chapter 4: Dog Behavior & Training

Comments for This Page (2)  |  Post a Comment

Actually, its a better idea to wait until the puppy is at least 8 weeks old before bringing him or her home. If it came from a great breeder, imprinting is not the issue. A happy, well-adjusted pup will accept anyone and can easily adapt into the new family's lifestyle. I would never recommend someone bring home a puppy before 8 weeks of age because you would then be taking the puppy away from their mother and their litter mates where they are learning how to bite softly and play appropriately. There are many important puppy development stages he/she is going through prior to the 8-9 week mark.

barked by Kat on Apr 21, 2008 AT 10:25 am PDT
10 people found this comment helpful.
Helpful? Y / N    Report this Comment

Question? Maybe it's to late, because Maxine just past to her 4th. year but she's not very social with other dogs and respecting the sizes and I'm afraid one time some big dog will not tolerance her and bite back or worst. How I can teach her to be behave?

barked by Gabor Lettner on Jul 21, 2009 AT 2:26 am PDT
Helpful? Y / N    Report this Comment

Post a Comment for This Page

Please log in or register to post a comment.

Email
Password:

Quirk BooksThe Dog Owner's Manual is a basic guide to dog care.
The book was written by a celebrated veterinarian and an acclaimed author. It provides dog owners with well-researched and helpful information presented in a lighthearted manner. The creators chose to write the book in a style similar to what you'd find in "operating instructions" for a car or computer. Of course they--and we--respect the fact that our beloved pets are not products or machines!